Deep Powder on Dickey Mountain

For my first trek after the big snowstorm, I made an afternoon snowshoe climb of ledgy Dickey Mountain, following a softly packed track halfway up and then a single set of snowshoe tracks the rest of the way. It was a good workout in a setting of supreme wintry beauty.

 

The first mile or so of the trail up through the woods had been partly broken by a couple of backcountry skiers, either that morning or the day before. The snow from this storm was dry and powdery and was not packing well. It was slippery on steeper inclines.

In some places the skiers had taken alternate routes on the way down.

Sun in the hardwoods. Near the top of the climb through the hardwoods I chatted with a solo snowshoer who had broken trail up over both Welch and Dickey Mountains and was on her way down. That was a solid effort, having taken her 4 1/2 hours to reach this point.  Thank you! She was the only hiker I encountered.

 

Into the conifers. The skiers' tracks soon ended, and from here on its was just the single set of snowshoe tracks.

 

Ice flows along the approach to the first ledges.

To get onto the first big slab, I made a short bushwhack detour to bypass two steep ledge steps that I figured would be difficult with the powdery snow.

Some deep drifts guarded the final approach to the ledge.

Maybe not the best route.

Rejoining the snowshoe tracks, with Sandwich Dome and the two Black Mountains seen across the Mad River valley.

Heading up along the massive granite slab on the south shoulder of Dickey. The summits of Dickey and Welch are seen ahead.

A closer look at Welch.

 

Looking back, with a long view to the south. Though the temperature was cold, there was little wind on the open ledges.

The Campton Range.

A conifer corridor leading up to the next set of ledges.

Though the ledges can be icy and quite sketchy in times of snow drought, when there is good snow cover Dickey is a wonderful snowshoe excursion.

An open expanse at 2400 ft.

The ledges keep coming. 

This is a very entertaining trail as it ducks in and out of the spruces.

The tracks angle up and across perhaps the widest expanse of ledge on the mountain.

Looking back.

Vast southern horizon.

Approaching the summit.

 

Slow going through some serious drifts. Thanks to the snowshoer who made first tracks through here. Even with that, it was slow going - three hours to climb two miles.

 

 

Heavily laden summit spruces.

More drifts on the final approach to the summit view ledges.

Wide view of Tecumseh's wild southern spur ridges.

 

The West Peak of Tecumseh. For some reason this often seems to be snow-caked more than the main summit.

 

 

 

The sprawling mass of Sandwich Dome.

Adding Welch's bulbous peak to the view.

Sun on the snowy Sandwich Range: Scaur Peak, Tripyramid, the Sleepers and Whiteface.

Tripyramid front and center.

 

Ghosts of the Franconia Range.

Down through the drifts. Easier with two sets of tracks and going downhill.

 

Winter at its best. 

The light and sky became interesting as I headed down over the ledges late in the afternoon.

 

Homeward bound, down through the woods.